Slat for venetian blinds



March 9, 1937.

G. w. KIRSCH SLAT FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Filed Oct. 5, 1934 INVENTOR. 64/7 CH/O/UC/Z ATTORNEYS.

MM Mar. f 19 1' UNITED {STATES PATENT oral-cs sm'r Foa vans-run Bumps Guy w; Kirsch, Sturgis, Mica, assignmto Kirsch Company, Stureis, Mi h. Application October 5; 1934, Serial No. 748,948

17 Claims. (01. 156-47) This application relates to my 'co-pending application Serial No. 140,039, filed August 16, 1934, and has for its objects:

First, to produce a new and improved slat for 5 Venetian blinds.

Second, to provide such a slat which is made in sections joined together by metallic elements so that the sections may be made up and finished at a central factory and can be assembled at 10 branch ofiices or in retail stores or the like to fit blinds to any desired window space.

Third, to provide such a slat in which the separate sections are fastened together by a metallic fastener element which has an open slot therein 15 for the passage of a lift cord, the slot being open so that the slats can be removed from'the ladder tapes or other supports including the lift cords without unthreading the lift cord and can be likewise placed in a ladder tape around a lift cord 20 without threading.

Fourth,to provide a slat for Venetian blinds that is telescoping and can be adjusted to fit any desired window opening.

Further objects and advantages pertaining to.

25 details of construction and operation will appear from the description to follow. Preferred constructions of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a view of a Venetian blind with my 30 improved slats therein. 1

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the member joining the slat sections together.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Figs. 2 and 4. v

35 Fig. 4 is a sectional view of my improved slat in position in a ladder tape showing the slat resting on the ladder tape in full lines and in dotted lines showing the slat tilted forv removal.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of my device pro- 40 vlding for a telescoping slat.

In the drawing, I is a window casing in which the blind is suspended. 2 is the header which is of three-piece telescoping construction having channel members telescoping and held together 45 with bolts 3. The header is supported in channel members 4 and has ladder tapes 5 suspended therefrom in which are the slats 6. The slats 6 are made up of a plurality of separate sections I, which may be of wood or the like, which are fast- 50 ened together by metallic fastening members 8. These members are made up of a substantially rectangular piece of sheet metal which is slotted as at 9, the slot running from one end lengthwise of the member and opening at that end. The 55 edges are turned up as at I so that the slot serving as a passage" for a lift cord II will not cut thecord. These turned up portions I0 alsov serve as stops for the members I. as shown in Fig. 3.

Inthe drawing, Figs. 2. 3 and 4, I show the slot 9 extending from the end I2 of the member 8 and I show the ends I2 and I3 bent around to form inwardly facing channels. In the particular modification shown the end I3 is of such length thatwhen it is bent to form a channel it overlaps 10 the slot 9' slightly and in order to make a satisfactory slot I have shown the end I3 notched where it overlaps the slot 9 and as shown in Fig.

3 the notch is bent to present a curved edge to the cord. It will be appreciated that if the end I3 of the member is not long enough to overlap the slot 9 this is unnecessary and forms no part of the invention here set forth and claimed.

The ends I2 and I3 of the member 8 are bent inwardly to form channels I4 and I5 to receive the members 1 and prongs I6 are provided to be pressed into the wood of the slat sections 1 to hold them when they are clamped in the sockets formed by the channels I4 and I5.

It will be noted that this method of construction provides a slat having slots for the reception of the lift cord which slots are open to the edge of the slat, thus permitting the slat to be tilted as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 to remove it from the ladder tape 5 as desired. This also permits the replacement of slats by merely inserting them in the ladder tape and then allowing the slat to fall-with the slot 9 receiving the lift cord. Y

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the metallic member I08 has its ends I I2 and II3'bent over to form the channels H4 and H5. It will be noted that the slot I09 divides the sheet metal member I08 into two sections I20 and I2I,.the section I2I being larger. The edges of slot I09 are turned up as at I I0 to present a smooth surface to a lift cord and also to serve as'stops for slat members I01. The portion I 2| of member I08 is bent around to form a socket to slidably receive the end of one member I01 while the portion I20 of member I08 is bent around as in the modification shown in Figs. 1-4 to form a socket to receive the end of another slat section I01. Members I I6 are pressed into the section I01 to keep it in position.

In Fig. 5, I show the slot I09 extending from the edge II3 of the member I08 and the'end I I2 of the member is of such'length that when it is bent over to form a channel in the member I08 it overlaps the slot I09 slightly. This end Ms notched slightly where it overlaps the slot I09 and has its edges bent down at this point. It will be appreciated that this is no particular part of the invention involved and if the por- 5 tion H2 is not long enough to overlap the slot I09 when it is bent to form the channel in the member I08 it need not be notched as shown.

With a slat such as shown in Fig. 5, it is possible to vary by telescoping the member I01 in 10 the socket formed'by portion I2I of member I08, thus giving considerable variation. When slats such as this are used with the telescoping header 2, it will be appreciated that the blind can be readily fitted to several windows and can be used interchangeably if desired by merely telescoping the slats and the header to the desired length.

I have shown and described my invention in the embodiments preferred by me and wish to claim the same specifically as well as broadly,

as pointed out in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a slat for Venetian blinds, the combination of a sheet metal member having a slot therein opening at and extending from one end thereof to divide said member into two sections of different size, said member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels whereby the larger of said sections of said member forms a socket to slidably receive a slat section and the smaller of said sections of said member forms a socket to clamp a slat section, and

whereby said slot in said member forms an open end transverse slot to receive a lift cord, said slot having its edges inturned to present a smooth surface to saidlift cord and to form stops for said slat sections, and a pair of slat 4 sections inserted in said sockets.

2. In a slat for Venetian blinds, the combination of a sheet metal member having a slot there in opening at and extending from one end thereof to divide said member into two sections, said 5 member having its ends inturncd to form inwardly facing channels whereby one of said sections of said member forms a socket to slidably receive a slat section and the other of said sections of said member forms a socket to clamp a slat section and whereby said slot in said member forms an open end transverse slot to receive a lift cord, said slot having its edges inturned to present a smooth surface to said lift cord and to form stops for said slat sections, and a pair of slat sections inserted in said sockets.

3. In a slat for Venetianblinds, the combination of a sheet metal member having a slot herein opening at and extending from one end thereof, to divide said member into two sections of different size, said member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels whereby the larger of said sections of said member forms a socket to slidably receive a slat section and the smaller of said sections of said member (55 forms a socket to clamp a slat section and whereby said slot in said member forms an open end transverse slot to receive a lift cord, and a pair of slat sections inserted in said sockets.

4. In a slat for Venetian blinds, the combina- 7 tion of a sheet metal member having a slot therein opening at and extending from one end thereof to divide said member into two sections, said member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels whereby one of said sec- 75 tions of said member forms a socket t9 s da y receive a slat section and the other of said sections of said member forms a socket to clamp a slat section and whereby said slot in said member forms an open ended transverse slot to receive a lift cord, and a pair of slat sections inserted in said sockets.

5. In a slat for Venetian blinds, the combination of a sheet metal member having a slot therein lengthwise thereof to divide said member into two sections, said member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels whereby one of said sections of said member forms a socket to slidably receive a slat section and the other of said sections of said member forms a socket to clamp a slat section and whereby said slot in said member forms a slot to receive a lift cord, said slot having its edges inturned to present a smooth surface to said lift cord and to form stops for said slat sections, and a pair of slat sections inserted in said sockets.

6. In a slat for Venetian blinds, the combination of a. sheet metal member having a slot therein lengthwise thereof to divide said member into two sections, said member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels whereby one of said sections of said member forms a socket to slidably receive a slat section and the other of said sections of said member forms a socket to clamp a slat section and whereby said slot in said member forms a slot to receive a lift cord, and a pair of slat sections inserted in said sockets.

7. A slat for Venetian blinds, comprising a plurality of separate sections joined at their adjacent ends by a sheet 'metal member having a slot therein extending to and opening at one end of said member and disposed to extend transversely of the slat for the passage of a lift cord through the slat, said member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels to receive the ends of said sections and to clamp them and having engaging prongs to engage said sections, said slot having its edges upset to present a smooth surface to a lift cord passing therethrough and to serve as spacers for the ends of said sections lying in said member.

8. A slat for Venetian blinds, comprising a plurality of separate sections joined at their adjacent ends by a sheet metal member having a slot therein extending to and opening at one end of said member and disposed to extend transversely of the slat for the passage of a lift cord through the slat, said member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels to receive the ends of said sections and to clamp them, said slot having its edges upset to present a smooth surface to a lift cord passing therethrough and to serve as spacers for the ends of said sections lying in said member.

9. A slat for Venetian blinds, comprising a plurality of separate sections joined at their adjacent ends by a sheet metal member having a slot therein extending to and opening at one end of said member and disposed to extend transversely of the slat for the passage of a lift cord through the slat, said member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels to receive the ends of said sections and to clamp them, said slot having its edges upset to present a smooth surface to a lift cord passing therethrough.

10. A slat .for Venetian blinds, comprising a plurality of separate sections joined at their adjacent ends by a sheet metal member having a slot therein extending to and opening at one end of said member and disposed to extend transversely of the slat for the passage of a lift cord through the slat, said member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels to receive the ends of said sections and to clamp them.

11. In a slat for Venetian blinds, the combination therewith of a metallic member having a slot therein extending transversely of the slat and opening at and extending from one edge of the slat for the passage of a lift cord, a socket at one end of said metallic member to slidably receive a section of slat, and a socket at the other end of said metallic member to clamp a second section of slat, whereby a telescoping slat is formed of two separate sections having their adjacent ends spaced apart.

12. In a slat for Venetian blinds, the combina-' tion therewith of a metallic member having a slot therein extending transversely of the slat for the passage of a lift cord, a socket at one end of said metallic member to slidably receive a section of slat, and a socket at the other end of said metallic member to clamp a second section of slat, whereby a telescoping slat is formed of two separate sections having their adjacent ends spaced apart.

13. A slat for Venetian blinds, comprising a plurality of separate sections joined at their adjacent ends by a sheet metal member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels to receive the ends of said sections and to clamp them, said member having a slot therein extending to and opening at one edge of the slat and disposed transversely of the slat for the passage of a lift cord, said slot having its edges upset to present a smooth surface to the cord and to serve as a spacer for the ends of the sections lying in said member.

14. A slat for Venetian blinds, comprising a plurality of separate sections joined at their adjacent ends by a sheet metal member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels to receive the ends of said sections and to clamp them, said member having a slot therein extending to and opening at one edge of the slat and. disposed transversely of the slat for the passage of a lift cord.

15. A slat for Venetian blinds comprising a plurality of separate sections joined at their ends by a sheet metal member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels to receive the ends of .thesections, said member having a slot therein extending to and opening at one edge of the slat and disposed transversely of the slat for the passage of a lift cord.

16. In a slat for Venetian blinds, the combination of a sheet metal member having a slot therein lengthwise thereof to divide said member into two sections, said member having its ends inturned to form inwardly facing channels each to receive a slat section, whereby said slot in said member forms a slot to receive a.lift cord, and a pair of slat sections inserted in the channels, one at each side of said slot.

17. A louver for Venetian blinds comprising a plurality of rigid sections arranged end to end, and connector means having spaced portions with an opening therebetween joining the adjacent ends of said sections and holding the same in spaced relation to facilitate the passage of hoisting cords through the space between said sections. 1

GUY W. KIRSCH. 

